


Not Unscathed.

by phantomwise



Category: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic Park Series - Michael Crichton
Genre: Drabble, Flashbacks, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/810178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomwise/pseuds/phantomwise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They told Ellie (“they” being the therapists that InGen brought on for damage control after the Isla Nublar Incident. That was the thing about John Hammond—short-sighted as hell, but he spared no expense) that it was more than likely that she would experience flashbacks after returning from the island.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Unscathed.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the FanFic War meme. Prompt: Ellie Sattler, post-Jurassic Park, provided by everyonelikedbubbahotep on Tumblr.

They told Ellie (“they” being the therapists that InGen brought on for damage control after the Isla Nublar Incident. That was the thing about John Hammond—short-sighted as hell, but he spared no expense) that it was more than likely that she would experience flashbacks after returning from the island. And yet, as Ellie’s time away from the island went from days, to weeks, to months, she had none. She felt nothing, really. Ellie was tired, yes, angry at what happened to Mr. Arnold, to the kids, to Ian, to Alan, but there was no fear, no constant urge to look over her shoulder. She never mentioned it to anyone, but she initially felt a small twinge of pride about it. Ellen Sattler had walked through hell without a scratch on her. How many people could say that about themselves?

It wasn’t until the two-month anniversary (Ellie had felt ridiculous, calling it this at the therapist’s office, but what the hell else was she supposed to say?) of their escape that this belief of hers was corrected. There had been a storm while she was at home, and when the lights began to flicker, Ellie decided to go upstairs and grab the flashlight she kept in the closet. No sooner had she wrapped her fingers around the handle then the lights went out completely. Ellie sighed, switched the flashlight on, turned around, and—

Ellie was never sure what actually caused the noise. It was probably the wind through the trees, she had said to her therapist, or a roll of thunder so small that she hadn’t even noticed the lightning beforehand. Whatever it truly was didn’t matter though, because as soon as Ellie heard that noise, she was back on the island, in the power shed. The hardwood floor became the metal grid of the catwalk, the steady patter of rain on the roof became the hum of the newly-activated generators. As for the noise that she heard, well. There was only one thing that could make that sort of noise.

The flashback ended almost as quickly as it began: the raptor was lunging at her, and then, she was sitting on the hallway floor of her house, back against the closet door. Alan was crouched across from her, eyes wide with concern, saying her name softly. He had run up the stairs at the sound of her scream, and found her on the floor, hugging her knees, repeating one word over and over to herself. “ _Run_.”

They all had stories like that. Ian had recurring dreams about the T-Rex, ones that left him an insomniac for years. Alan had flashbacks similar to hers, he gave away his  _Utahraptor_ fossils as a result. The kids had sleepwalking episodes that neither would say much about, except that they were “back in the kitchen.” The survivors had all made it through hell, yes, but not unscathed.


End file.
